Mobile courts can continue operation till Oct 31

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday stayed the High Court order that had declared running mobile courts by executive magistrates illegal till October 31. A five-member Appellate Division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah passed the order, paving the way for continuing operation of the mobile courts under executive magistrates.

On May 11, the High Court had passed the order, declaring some 14 sections and sub-sections of the concerned act unconstitutional.

The full text of the 64-page verdict was released by the High Court on June 7.

The court passed the order after holding a hearing on writ petitions filed by three people, convicted by mobile courts.

"The mobile courts, if any, must be manned by the judicial magistrates or the metropolitan magistrates, as the case may be. In other words, the mobile courts must be manned by the members of the Bangladesh Judicial Service, which will be perfectly in accord with the constitution and the judgment

passed by the Appellate Division in Masdar Hossain's case," the HC verdict said.